Apart from a satisfactory balance sheet recorded, the just ended March session also ushered in remarkable novelty at the Senate.

For the first time since the inception of the Senate in 2013, the March 2015 ordinary session of the Upper House of Parliament witnessed the oral questioning of cabinet ministers within the framework of controlling government action as provided by Article 14 (2) of the constitution. April 9, 2015, thus goes down in the annals of the Senate as the day the milestone innovation started with six cabinet ministers notably the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o, Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, Patrice Amba Salla of Public Works, Dr. Tiaga of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, his colleague of Public Contract, Abba Sadou and the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, Jacqueline Koung à Bessike took turns to answer questions from the Senators on issues that touch on the life of the nation.

While closing the first ordinary session for the 2015 legislative year last April 10, Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji underscored the milestone innovation at the Upper House of Parliament. “We can equally congratulate ourselves for kicking off the procedure of putting questions to government. These questions are part of the instruments to oversee government action, a natural extension of our legislative duties. I therefore urge you to submit your questions in future sessions in compliance with the provisions of Section 64 and 81 of our Standing Orders”, he remarked.

At the Senate just like the National Assembly, the people’s representatives shelved aside their political leanings to work for the common good of the country as they scrutinised and adopted seven bills tabled by government. Four of those bills were on economy aimed at enhancing the Three-year Growth Acceleration Emergency Plan initiated by President Paul Biya. Meanwhile, one of the bills focused on security accord between Cameroon and Turkey and the remaining two on electronic communication and audio-visual activities in Cameroon.

Another important novelty recorded in both Houses of Parliament, was the unflinching support by Senators and Members of the National Assembly to the Head of State and the defence forces in the war against the nebulous Boko Haram sect. This is evidence by the generous financial contributions by members of both Houses irrespective of their diverse political backgrounds.